Ten years after graduating, Cheri Robinson felt her career at the National University of Samoa had plateaued, but knew she had more to give and opted for a return to Master's study.

Cheri Robinson made a decision to get more out of herself—and her career—by enrolling in the Master of Information Management.

"I found myself in a routine in my managerial role at the National University of Samoa (NUS) and felt I needed to broaden my knowledge and skill-base.

"The Master of Information Management (MIM) at Victoria University proved the ideal programme. It met my interests in technology and management, while satisfying my need to know the current issues facing the world outside Samoa," she says.

It wasn’t an easy decision to return to study and in the process, relocate to another country with her partner and five children.

"It took a little time to get into the flow of being a student again. But the staff, my classmates, support and resources provided what I need to get into the swing of things. Having evening classes was great when you've got kids."

The flexibility of the course meant Cheri could choose courses that matched her interests and she included two papers from Victoria's MBA programme.

MIM programme director Dr Jocelyn Cranefield says the programme is designed to cater for a broad range of interests so people can choose papers that suit their career development.

"The professionals who come into the programme have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, from business analysis, project management and freelance consulting, to roles in information management, IT and governance.

"With seminar-style classes of between 15 and 20 students, everyone is able to contribute to the collegial collective learning experience," she says.

Cheri singles out the compulsory first-trimester paper on critical thinking as a "brilliant" foundation that set her up to get through and enjoy the rest of the programme.

Now back at NUS, Cheri says the programme was a huge help in entering more senior roles. 

"The MIM taught me about how we manage information, and that success often hinges on the people component. It also heightened my understanding of project management and issues around IT-enabled change."

She is now in what she describes as "one of the most challenging roles" where she oversees the university's corporate services.

"We have a number of projects in the pipeline, such as shifting to online enrolment, and developing ICT infrastructure and ITSM practices. The MIM programme has created a level of awareness that helps me identify opportunities in information management, as well as better understand issues around risk management and information security.

"It also highlighted the importance of strategic alignment and I apply this when lobbying for resources, planning and guidance for a number of initiatives underway at NUS.

"I love that I can apply what I've learned from MIM. Every course I've taken in the programme is directly relevant and applicable to my new role."

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